This application claims priority to Great Britain Application GB 0118359.9 filed Jul. 27, 2001, which application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This invention relates to decoys in the form of birds or other animals; more particularly, it relates to a movement system for such a decoy, which system imparts motion in a plurality of directions, so as to simulate actions for example feeding.
Hunters, photographers and participants in shooting sports use decoys to represent birds and other animals, so as to attract their quarry. Decoys may be water-borne, or may stand on solid ground. They may be motorised, or may simply move by natural wind power. Some such decoys have been developed to function by remote control.
Many patents exist for decoys, both animated and non-animated, which cover a variety of different approaches. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,990 to Okimoto discloses a bird decoy movement system which imparts oscillatory motion in one plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,816 B1 to Babbit et al, shows an oscillating mechanism for motion in one plane, horizontal to the ground.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2001/0001913 A1 to Mathews utilizes a motor or natural wind power to impart motion to the wind members of a decoy.
Generally, the decoy movement associated with the prior art tends to be restricted which leads to a very limited and often repetitive form of simulated motion, often mimicking only a single action. This limitation of the decoy""s movements may limit the scope of the decoy""s usexe2x80x94the limited or regular movement may scare away the animals that the user wishes to attract, or may fail to have any positive effect whatsoever.
Those systems which do seek to impart more life-like motion to a decoy are often so complex as to make them unreasonably expensive to producexe2x80x94and thus expensive to the customer.
This invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art, offering a solution to the development of a mechanically simple and therefore inexpensive movement system, which allows life-like movement of a decoy in a plurality of directions.
One aspect of the invention provides a decoy having a body and a movement system for causing the decoy to move. The movement system comprises guide means connected to the body and drive means for driving the guide means so as to impart movement to the body in at least two directions simultaneously.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the guide means may comprise a guide element and guide track for receiving the element and drive means is adapted to drive the guide track and guide element.
Optionally, the drive means comprises a rotary motor and an output arm adapted to be received by the guide track, whereby the rotary motion of the arm imparts a linear motion to the guide track. Preferably, the guide track is fixed to a pivot so that the arm imparts an oscillatory motion to the guide track.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the guide track further comprises a slot for receiving the output arm to protrude there through to cause the guide element to move relative to the guide track.
In one class of embodiments, the guide element is pivotally connected to the guide track and wherein the output arm moves along a path on the guide element to cause the guide element to move in an oscillatory manner about the pivot. Preferably, the guide element and body moves from a horizontal plane in an upward and downward directions about the pivot to simulate a nodding motion for the decoy
In another class of embodiments, the output arm is engaged by the guide element to cause it to move to and fro along the guide track.
The guide element may further comprise a protruding portion extending transversely and adapted to move along an edge of the guide track, the edge may be profiled to cause the protruding portion and part of the guide element to move relative the guide track in a direction corresponding to the profile. Preferably, the protruding portion may be positioned to the rear of the guide element and the edge is profiled to cause the rear of the guide element to rise relative the front of the guide element as it moves towards the front of the guide track and to be lowered in the return direction so as to simulate a feeding motion for the body.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the decoy may further comprise wings connected to the body, and the guide element further comprises a toothed rack to engage a cog arrangement secured to the guide track and connecting the wings to cause them to move.
Optionally, the movement system is mounted on means to allow it to stand on solid ground. Alternatively, the movement system is mounted on floatation means, thereby allowing the decoy to operate on water.